Overview
Over the past few years CAMD’s budget has been significantly impacted by LSU's reduction in funding. These reductions have forced us, and the LSU administration, to look into developing additional revenue streams to support our operating costs. These include Federal support, enhanced overhead return from the university, fee-for-service contracts, as well as establishing CAMD as a cost center.
We know that our users are reluctant to see CAMD become a cost center, however in light of recent budgetary constraints, we will be required to implement some new procedures: future grants that use CAMD will need to include funds budgeted for beamtime. In the mean time, as users renew their grants with that funding budgeted, we have developed a means to account for charging for the beamtime of all users, including CAMD staff.
Currently users’ grants do not have this fee budgeted, and for those who do not have the flexibility to adjust their accounting and provide this fee, there will be a CAMD account that can be used to pay for the beamtime. The beamtime charges will even be assessed for beamline alignment and an accounting mechanism is in place that will not cost users for that time. Users should recognize that in the event that CAMD operating budgets do not receive additional support through new revenue streams, our continued operations of the facility may be compromised.
Our plan is to implement our accounting and beamtime tracking in December prior to starting CAMD as a cost center January 1, 2012. The initial December tracking will allow for staff training in the new operations as well as ironing out unforeseen issues with implementation. In the event that our budget situation improves and this cost center is not essential for continued operations, we will discontinue these beamtime charges.
Academic User Fee Schedule
Each beamline is currently monitored and we record the times that user light is delivered to the experiment. When the user opens the beamline, it is recorded that light is in use and when time the beamline is closed, the user incurrs no charges. Your beamline scientist can tell you which valve is monitored for this record.
Beamtime charges will be 61¢ per mA-hour for the time period that synchrotron light is delivered to users’ experiments, recording and compensating for ring current – the charges are less when the ring current is low. With a typical 100mA stored beam this corresponds to ~$61/hr.
When users establish their project reference number (PRN) and project billing information, they can also provide a maximum amount for CAMD to bill that particular account before charging additional beamtime fees to the CAMD account. This means that if a user can rebudget to provide $X of funding within their current grant, CAMD will not over-bill the user beyond $X to that account. Additional beamtime will be billed to the CAMD account.
The beamline scientist assigned to your beamline will reconcile all billable usage (mA-hrs that the beamline provides light to the experiment) and identify the user and PRN.
Setting up your beamtime account
Each user is assigned one or more project reference numbers (PRNs) to identify projects and link each project to appropriate billing account numbers. Note that in this transition period you may identify the CAMD User account as your billing account. Please contact Craig Stevens (578-4603) for more information on how to establish your account. Once you have established your PRN you will be provided with information on how to monitor your PRN beamtime usage.
Industrial User and Service Fee Schedule
CAMD provides access to state of the art instrumentation open to researchers from industries and commercial organizations. The on site staff provides the local process expertise, support in research projects as well as full service to commercial customers. The standard fee schedule for commercial/proprietary use is available HERE. Additional arrangements may be negotiated. For more information contact Craig Stevens (578-4603).
CAMD Administration:
Richard L. Kurtz, Interim Director
John Scott, Scientific Director
Jost Goettert, Director of Microfabrication
Craig Stevens, Director for Administration
For more information:
Louisiana State University
Center for Advanced Microstructures & Devices
6980 Jefferson Hwy.
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(225) 578-8887 Tel.(main office)
(225) 578-6954 Fax
Map to CAMD
A tour of the facility can be arrange by contacting Craig Stevens at (225) 578-4603.
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